Foot support and exerciser



April 19, 1938. I L FEDER 2,114,526

FOOT SUPPORT AND EXERCISER Filed March 26, 1935 INVENTOR.

Jv W 4 ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 19, 1938 UNITED. STATES FOOT SUPPORT AND EXERCISER LeoFeder, South Pasadena, Calif.

Application March 26, 1935, Serial No. 13,119

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to foot supports and exercisers of thegeneral character shown in my pending application for patent, I filedMarch 16, 1934, Serial No. 715,929, and has for a principal object theprovision of a device embodying a substantially stiff shank plateadapted to be inserted between the inner and outer soles of a shoe so asto span the arch and a yieldable plate secured at one of its ends atleast to such shank plate and curved upwardly intermediate its ends sothat the resilient plate may be yieldable and movable on the stiffplate.

A subsidiary object is to provide the resilient plate at its free end orends with a slit or slot by means of which the plate is bifurcated andis rendered more resilient at its end or ends than at pointsintermediate the ends so that the resilient supporting plate will morereadily 'yield to pressure while the user is flexing the feet, as whilewalking. Other and minor detailed objects of invention will appear asthe description progresses.

I have shown a preferred form of device in the accompanying drawing inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section in elevation of a shoe embodying myimproved foot supporter and exerciser;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a form of device in which the yieldableplate is movable at both ends on the stiff shank plate, and both of saidplates are slotted at corresponding ends thereof;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a modified form of device similar toFig. 2, except that slots are provided in both ends of the yieldableplate, and at least one end thereof is slitted outwardly of the slot forrendering the yieldable plate more readily flexible;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of another form of device in which theyieldable plate is shown permanently attached at one end to the stiffshank plate, while the other end thereof is longitudinally slotted.

A device embodying my improvements includes but two members, namely: asubstantially stiff elongated plate I and a relatively yieldableelongated plate 2 mounted on the plate I and arched intermediate itsends, and suitably attached at one or both ends to the plate I wherebythe plate 2 may flex relative to the plate I, with one or both endsslightly movable longitudinally of the plate I as pressure is appliedthereto. The plate I is secured at its rear end 3 to the heel of a shoeas by means of a rivet inserted through an aperture 4, and the front endthereof may similarly be attached to the outer sole 5 of a shoe byrivets inserted through aperture 6.

It will be observed that the plate I is of the general form andcurvature of the outer sole 5 of a shoe, and that it substantiallyoverlaps the arch of the shoe. The plate 2 is abnormally arched andengages the inner sole I of the shoe so as to normally hold said innersole upwardly from a possible depressed position, thereby serving tosupport the arch of the foot, and while in the act of walking, toexercise the foot as the plate 2 is flexed and moved longitudinally to aslight extent on the plate I.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, one or both ends of the flexible plate 2 maybe provided with elongated closed slots 8, through which rivets 9,secured to the stiff plates I, may extend so that the ends of the plate2 thus formed are slightly movable longitudinally on the plate I.

As shown in Fig. 3, the ends of the flexible plate 2 may be slitted atIll outwardly of the slots 8 in order that said plate may be morereadily flexed and of less rigidity at its ends than at its archedcentral portion. When so formed, the slits ID will not permit thedisengagement of the rivets 9 from the slots 8.

Also as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, an end of the stiff plate I may beslotted, as at II, so that the rivet 9, engaging the adjacent slot 8 ofplate 2, may also be movable in the slot II, and the stiff plate I willbe correspondingly weakened at its forward end over the outer sole 5 ofthe shoe.

In lieu of the rivet 9 at the forward end of the device, I may providelugs I2 bent upwardly from plate I so as to engage an open slot I3 inthe adjacent end of plate 2, as shown in Fig. 2, for permitting themovement of plate 2 on plate I, but preventing the lateral movement ofplate 2 thereon.

As shown in Fig. 4, the rear end of plate 2 may be permanently securedto plate I by means of one or more rivets I4. While the forward end ofplate 2 is provided with the open slot I3 and is detached from plate Ithereat, this latter form of device provides the weakened forward end ofplate 2 without weakening the plate I.

What I claim is:

1. A foot support and exerciser comprising: a rigid metal shank adaptedto be mounted between the inner and outer soles of a shoe and to spanthe arch of the shoe, the rear end thereof overlying and being securedto the heel of the shoe, the forward end thereof overlying and beingsecured to the outer sole of the shoe, and an arched supporting platemounted on said PATENT OFFICE shank plate at its ends and spacedintermediate its ends above said supporting plate in normal to span thearch of the shoe, the rear end thereof overlying and being secured tothe heel of the shoe, the forward end thereof overlying and beingsecured to the outer sole of the shoe, and an arched supporting platemounted on said shank plate at its ends and spaced intermediate its endsabove said supporting plate in normal engagement with the inner sole ofthe shoe, corresponding ends of said supporting plate and said archedplate being slotted and a rivet mounted to move in the slots of saidends and holding said plates in slidable relation.

LEO FEDER.

